Ken Borland

South Africa’s two most iconic courses hosted their big events in December and winning scores of just five-under-par at Sun City and 13-under-par at Leopard Creek showed that they were excellent tests for the outstanding fields and the many international golfers included in them.

Johannes Veerman, an American who has campaigned mostly on the DP World Tour, prevailed in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player Country Club with an inspired 69 on the gruelling final day.

There was no respite from the searing heat and tough layouts the following week in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, with Shaun Norris also coming through the field, overcoming a six-shot deficit with a 67.

At Sun City, the prestige field had to contend with temperatures that reached 46° as well as the usual treacherous, shifting winds and nefarious pin-placements in the nooks of the clover-shaped greens. The heat was turned up even further in Malelane as a startling temperature of 50° was recorded on the second day, with irregular winds adding to the torment.

Romain Langasque tied for second in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, finishing one stroke behind Veerman after rounds of 70-70-73-71, and the fact that he was pretty chuffed to shoot around par indicated just how tough the conditions were.

“To shoot 70 is actually a very good score. If you shoot under-par here, you have played very well. The course plays very tough mostly because of the wind, which is constantly going anywhere, blowing one way and then completely the other direction. If you are just off the fairway, then it is very difficult to hit the green. You have to stay very patient, take a decision and see where the ball goes.

“The greens get firmer and firmer and it seems to just get tougher and tougher. Sometimes you will land in a very bad place, but that happens to everybody. Your attitude is so important,” Langasque said.

But the Frenchman also spoke about how wonderful the whole Sun City experience was.

“I’ve had good results in South Africa. But it’s not just about the golf, it’s the people too. There’s good food and a good hotel, the hospitality is something I really enjoy. So it’s a good week here, the course is always so unbelievable, but tough,” Langasque said.

Fit-again American star Will Zalatoris was delighted to finally make his Nedbank Golf Challenge debut, having first accepted an invite for the 2022 event but then getting injured. The 28-year-old spoke glowingly about the history of the tournament and how special walking on to the ninth green was with the plaques honouring all the previous winners decorating the pathway.

“I stay up late at night at home and watch this tournament, I’ve been doing it for a decade. So it’s special to play here for the first time, I was really upset to miss out previously because of my back surgery, it’s a tournament I’ve had circled on the calendar for a while.

“It’s Africa’s Major and the 18^th hole is the real deal with an awesome vibe all week, and I think it’s the toughest hole on the course. And the history of the tournament is special, you see all the past champions on the ninth green – that hole is my favourite – and that’s a really strong list with a lot of Hall-of-Famers,” Zalatoris said.

‘Stick to the fairways’ was also the mantra at Leopard Creek, according to Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, who had to settle for a tie for second after shooting 74 on the last day.

“I enjoy playing this golf course and look forward to the challenge. I like what I see, most holes suit my eye, but some are very tough as well. It’s quite similar to Sun City in that you have to be on top of your game. There’s nowhere to hide, which is what I like, but some Leopard Creek holes do give you more of a margin for error.

“But there’s no way to bail out, you have to take on every shot. The greens are also slopey and they can tuck the pins like at Gary Player Country Club. It was tough out there, the wind was gusty and the temperature is more than 40°.

“But it’s a great course, it’s my first time here and I am really impressed. It’s even more important here to drive well, you’ve got to hit the ball straight, in the fairways, and then you can attack some pins, you expect some to be tucked; be in good positions in order to attack or even just to hit to the fat side of the green,” Kinhult said.

But a few extra minutes spent at the 13^th green, overlooking the Crocodile River and the Kruger National Park, is enough to convince anyone that it will all be okay.

“It’s an amazing course, I’ve never played anywhere with a national park right on their doorstep. The 13^th green is something else with its hippos and crocs. We’re very lucky to get to play here.

“I’m a massive animals fan and there is wildlife everywhere in the park. We were able to see elephant, lion and leopard. We only get a pigeon and a crow at home!,” a delighted Alex Fitzpatrick said.

Given the troubled economic situation, nine-hole golf courses are becoming more popular in South Africa and Kruger Park Lodge has one of the best in the country.

Regularly named in the top-10 of Golf Digest’s rankings for the best nine-hole courses and that of satop100courses.com, the par-72 Kruger Park GC was designed in 1992 by Phil Jacobs of Gary Player Design and has 18 different tees and a length of 6100 metres.

The cleverness of the course is complemented by the beautiful scenery, the rolling hills of the Hazyview area providing a lovely backdrop.

Although the course is of only average length, the designers did a great job of asking tricky questions off just about every tee. The undulating terrain, with plenty of mounds coming into play, adds further difficulty as does many water hazards and creative if sparse bunkering.

The innovative design is immediately apparent on the par-four first/10th holes, where there is a big tree in front of the tees. It is more of a factor playing from the 10^th tee, with golfers forced to either aim to the left side of the fairway or hit a low drive in order to avoid the overhanging branches.

The fairway has plenty of mounds and approaches are hit to a green that slopes uphill.

The second/11th holes are also a par-four. The 11^th is shorter (328m v 381m) but it requires a longer hit from the tee-box to make the fairway and there are also a couple of trees to negotiate. Do not go right off the tee because there is a big dam which is strictly out-of-bounds due to the presence of hippos and crocodiles. The amphibious mammals did make their presence known by suddenly surfacing with an explosive expulsion of CO₂ and a dramatic new breath being taken, but the crocs were typically clandestine, sneakily remaining out of view from the lovely hide erected to look over the dam.

The third/12th hole is the first par-five and as cunning as a crocodile. A drive of over 200 metres is needed to get over the hill in front of the tee, but 150 metres from the green there is a stream across the fairway, which will ensnare the longer hitters. The approach is downhill to the green, with a dam in front, but a bank behind the green does help in allowing golfers to hit their second or third shots a bit long. Bear in mind though that a chip back towards the water then follows … 

A shortish par-four (342/359m) follows to help settle the nerves, but the drive is into an uphill fairway, which then takes a dogleg left and the approach is to an elevated green.

Water hazards quickly return though on the par-three fifth/14th hole with a dam left of the green. At 194 metres long, the tee-shot from the fifth tee-box will be a challenge for the average golfer.

The par-four sixth hole, measuring 369 metres, is Stroke 1 and will be testing. Playing from the 15^th tee, it is a bit shorter at 359 metres and considered easier as a Stroke 10. With trees down the left of the fairway, you don’t want to drive there, with the hole then doglegging left. The entrance to the green is guarded by a bunker and a rockpool on either side.

Befitting an area reputed to be the best in the world for growing bananas, more aquatic banana peels await on the par-three seventh/16th holes. A carry of 150 metres is required to hit across a big dam when playing from the seventh tee, aiming for a perpendicular green that is wide but very shallow.

Be prepared to take a moment to enjoy the view from the elevated eighth/17th tees, which is a spectacularly scenic par-five. The drive is downhill with a wonderful view of the foothills of the escarpment, on to a fairway that turns gently to the left. The green is surrounded by the beautiful riverine woodland trees of the Lowveld, including a big Natal Mahogany that guards the front left of the putting surface. Measuring 498 metres for the eighth and 477 for the 17th, this is probably the feature hole of Kruger Park Lodge Golf Club.

The ninth and 18^th tees provide intimidating drives between trees growing along the stream on either side of the fairway. Playing on to an up-slope, the fairway then swings right down to the green. There are lots of mounds on the approach and a narrow green, with bunkers on both sides, as well as a rockpool on the left, so when we have safely negotiated the closing hole, we deserve our liquid refreshment seated in the lapa which is right next to the Sabie River and all its riches of biodiversity.

Pierre van Nieuwenhuizen, who joined Kruger Park GC as the pro last year, having previously been the golf director at Euphoria Estate and the academy director at Silver Lakes Country Club, says the Lowveld course that has now hosted 29 editions of the Hornbill Classic is a gem.

“I just love this course because every hole is unique and sort of has its own personality. It’s a thinker’s course that you cannot overpower, the longer hitters must really think their way around and I love that. The modern game is dominated by bombers that just wedge and putt all day.

“Then the incredible views, amazing vistas all around the course. Holes four and five are gorgeous and from the eighth tee it’s spectacular. It’s really a course that has everything a golfer wants to enjoy himself,” Van Nieuwenhuizen says.

BALLITO (KwaZulu-Natal) – Luke Jerling rates Umhlali Country Club as being one of his favourite courses and he continued to show how comfortable he is on the 5943m Peter Matkovich design as he fired a second consecutive 66 on Thursday to claim a two-shot lead after the second round of the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya.

The 32-year-old Jerling had eight birdies but three bogeys on the first day, but he played much more controlled golf on Thursday, dropping just the one shot, on the tough par-four 15^th hole. A hot putter allowed him to collect six birdies as he goes into Saturday’s final round on 10-under-par.

“I really enjoy this golf course, I finished third here in this event last year and just missed out on a playoff,” Jerling said. “I’m not the longest hitter and this is not a bomber’s paradise. There are quite a few fiddly tee-shots and good par-threes.

“Fortunately my short game is my strength and I also made a few putts after struggling for a while with the putter. It was nice to see a few roll in and my iron-play was also very solid,” Jerling said.

Danie van Tonder is poised for another final-round charge as he lies second on eight-under-par, following a 67 on Thursday that included an eagle on the 489m par-five 10^th hole.

Pieter Moolman (66) and Astin Arthur (69), the amateur from nearby Mount Edgecombe who has won five events this year, are tied for third on seven-under-par.

Overnight leader Jacob Oakley endured a disappointing day as he shot a 75 to finish on four-under-par, still inside the top-10 though. There are a host of Sunshine Tour winners in the top-10, including the in-form Malcolm Mitchell, who is ninth on the Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy.

Jerling has come close before to winning his maiden Sunshine Tour title, finishing third three times and being the runner-up in the 2022 Manguang Open. Although he is now based at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Jerling is with the coastal players who are hoping for the wind to get up in the final round.

“The wind might pick up more and I won’t mind at all coming originally from Port Elizabeth, where you have to shape the ball a bit. It’s the sort of course where my game-plan will be the same whether I’m chasing the cut or enjoying a five-shot lead, I’ll hit the same shots.

“So I’m not going to think too much about the final round, although it would be lovely to get over the line. It’s actually a bonus being in contention because I’ve been doing some good work with my coach Neil Cheetham and we made a breakthrough last week with my driver and my transition of weight, getting a better turn off the ball with more width. I can see the improvement, which is exciting,” Jerling said.

SUN CITY – Jacques Blaauw made par at the first playoff hole to win the SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun City at the Gary Player Country Club on Friday, the 38-year-old breaking an eight-year winning drought and doing it at one of his favourite courses.

It all led to an emotional celebration by Blaauw as he admitted to being “like a madman, going crazy on the phone” with his wife and father shortly after the trophy presentation.

“It’s been a while since my last win – 2016 – but I’ve been playing very well the last two months and I was thinking the win was coming,” Blaauw said, following up his four rounds in the sixties to finish third in the KitKat Cash & Carry Pro-Am a fortnight ago with rounds of 71-71-69 for five-under-par at Gary Player Country Club.

“And I played really well today, besides my finish in regulation play when I bogeyed the 15^th and 18^th holes. But the wind made conditions really tough today and those last holes were playing difficult.

“I’ve been putting very well recently and my approach play today was much closer than I’m used to, which gave me more chances for birdies. A lot of hard work has gone into this, especially with my driving, which I’ve struggled with lately. But I worked on it yesterday and changed my settings.

“This game keeps you humble, there are more ups and downs. It’s funny, but what I consider to be my first professional win came at the Gary Player Country Club, one of the best courses in the country, when I won the Klipdrift Touring Pro-Am back in 2010/11. I’ve waited so long now for this win, so I was like a madman, going crazy on the phone when I spoke to my wife and dad,” Blaauw said.

Blaauw’s two late bogeys left him tied with Tristin Galant, Yurav Premlall and Jonathan Broomhead as that trio finished their rounds.

Premlall and Broomhead both made bogeys at the last hole, but Galant made an excellent par to force the playoff.

Blaauw and Galant then made their way to the par-five ninth, with both laying up. After their approach shots to the green, it was advantage Galant as he was nine feet from the hole after a fantastic shot, with Blaauw hitting a poor shot, by his own admission, to be 35 feet from the flag.

But Blaauw still attacked the birdie putt, hitting it five feet past but showing his composure and previous winning experience by making the par putt coming back. Galant missed his birdie putt and then unfortunately missed a three-footer for par.

Blaauw had been superb for most of his final round, making birdie on the first two holes and then adding an eagle on the par-five 10^th and a birdie on the par-three 12^th.

Two superb hits on the 505m 10^th with a Driver and a four-iron set Blaauw up with a nine-foot eagle putt, and he was even more delighted with his four-iron into the 18^th. Even though he ended up making bogey, the Els Club Copperleaf golfer said “it’s one of the best shots of my career and was crucial to my win”.

Galant shot a 70 on the final day and also suffered late blows with bogeys on the par-five 14^th and par-four 17^th.

Premlall made his fifth birdie of the round on the par-three 12^th to hit eight-under-par, but he then double-bogeyed the par-four 13^th and had two more drops coming in.

Broomhead was on six-under-par overall through 10 holes, but then made two bogeys coming in to sign for a level-par 72.

Overnight leader Werner Deyzel suffered a number of body blows on the brutal course, finishing with a seven-over 79 which included a triple-bogey on the 14^th.